A quick kiss
by Milenko
Summary: Marco has trouble expressing his true feelings


A quick kiss  
  
By Milenko  
  
Authors Notes - My first pairing of this couple. I've been wanting to write a Rachel/Marco fic for a long time, but just haven't found the right scenario.  
  
***UPDATED! I've worked out a few kinks in the story, polished it up a bit, and added my insignia down at the bottom, along with a passage, pertaining to yours truly.  
  
Marco walked nervously through the mall. He'd been nervous ever since he talked to Jake about that touchy subject yesterday, and he promised to talk to Rachel about it. This of course, scared Marco half to death. One never could be too sure with Rachel.  
  
After rounding the food court, he walked past the Gap. He took a quick glance inside, to see if there were any girls whom he hadn't annoyed top the point that they would break his fingers.  
  
His eyes went wide, when he saw Rachel and Cassie inside. He dove behind an empty trashcan when they turned toward the exit.  
  
"Nope. This doesn't look too weird," Marco muttered.  
  
"Well well, fancy meeting you here." Marco looked up. Cassie had spotted him.  
  
"Well, I was, um, and you see, ah, I, is it hot in here?" Marco stammered.  
  
"Nope. Must be since you're closer to the center of the Earth than most people." Rachel said, and then quickly laughed at her own wit.  
  
"I, uh, I need to, ah, bye!" Marco took off down the hallway, and turned into the mens room. He ran into a vacant stall, and threw up.  
  
"What is wrong with me!" I started banging his head with his hand. "I've always been able to talk to her before. I mean, we're in a war to save all of humanity, and I freak out when I see her in the mall?" he asked the toilet bowl.  
  
"Why don't you just swallow your pride, and tell her?"  
  
Marco jumped from the floor.  
  
"Jake!!! What the hell are you doing here?" Marco demanded.  
  
"I saw you run in here like Visser three himself was chasing you." Jake said.  
  
Marco said nothing.  
  
"So? Why don't you just tell her?" Jake asked.  
  
Marco looked for an excuse. "Well, Cassie is with her. I can't do it with Cassie here, maybe some other time. Like tomorrow, or next week, or next millennium?" Marco made a move for the exit. Jake stepped in front of him.  
  
"Uh uh. Nice try, Marco. But I know you can do better than that. Look, I'll take care of Cassie. You go and talk to Rachel, okay?" Jake said.  
  
Marco threw up his hands. "Sure. Why not? It's not like I have anything to lose." Besides my dignity, he added silently.  
  
"That's the spirit." Jake slapped Marco on the back. Jake opened the door to the restroom, and Marco followed him at a cautioned pace.  
  
"There they are." Jake pointed to a table in the food court. Sure enough, Cassie and Rachel were sitting there, sipping from their soda's.  
  
"Just a minute, bud." Jake walked toward them, and started talking to Cassie. After a minute or so, she got up and walked away with him. Behind her back, Jake gave Marco the `go for it' signal. Marco sighed, and began to walk toward Rachel's table.  
  
She was staring at the contents of one of her packages when Marco pulled up a chair next to her. She didn't seem to notice him.  
  
Marco cleared his throat a few times to get her attention. It worked. She looked up and smiled.  
  
"Hi Marco." She said.  
  
"Yeah, uh, hi Rachel." He sputtered.  
  
Rachel leaned her head in close to Marco's.  
  
"There isn't anything wrong, is there?" Marco shook his head.  
  
"No, this is kind of a , personal endeavor." Rachel seemed pleased with that.  
  
"Fire away then." She folded her arms across her chest.  
  
"Well, Rachel, this is kind of hard for me to say. But, well, whati'mtryingtosayisthatilikeyou." Marco said, way too fast.  
  
"What was that last part again?" Rachel put a hand up to her ear. Marco sighed.  
  
"Rachel, I like you." He said in a defeated tone.  
  
Rachel didn't say anything for a few minutes. Marco made a motion to leave.  
  
"Well, now that that's off my chest, I guess I can go now. See you around." She grabbed his wrist.  
  
"Marco, sit." She commanded. He did.  
  
"Now, you like me?" she said, disbelief in her voice.  
  
Marco nodded. "Yeah, I mean," he leaned his head in close. "Ever since this whole war started, I've come to respect you more than anyone else alive. Both for your strength, and your recklessness. I... I can't help my emotions." Marco said, almost whispering.  
  
"Um, Marco, I'm very flattered, but." Marco finished the sentence for her.  
  
"But you love Tobias." She nodded.  
  
"I'm the only thing that keeps Tobias human, Marco. I'm his only tie to this world. He needs me, or he'll lose it. Do you understand?" she said.  
  
"Of course I do." Marco tried to act big, but the disappointment was clear in his voice.  
  
"Don't take it that hard, Marco. Trust me, if I wasn't in love with Tobias, who knows? You're kinda cute." Marco smiled, as if to take the compliment graciously. He didn't.  
  
"Kind of cute? What do you mean, kind of? I am the epitome of cuteness. I am the omega of cuteness." He said, playing his part.  
  
She thinks I'm cute! Is what he was thinking deep inside.  
  
"Can I have my seat back, please?" Marco turned to face Cassie.  
  
"Why of course, mademoiselle." He got up, and threw a napkin over his sleeve, imitating a French waiter.  
  
Cassie laughed, and gave Marco a shove. Jake and Rachel laughed.  
  
"You ready to get going, Rachel?" Cassie asked.  
  
"Yeah. If we don't get home in time to do Jordan's hair, there's gonna be hell to pay from her."  
  
"Haha. If I know my younger cousin, you'd better run home. She can get really impatient sometimes." Jake said.  
  
"You're one to talk! I have to live with her! You're lucky you have an older brother." Rachel immediately covered her mouth. There was a momentary pause. Jake's brother is a controller.  
  
Rachel broke the silence. She clapped her hands together.  
  
"Well, let's go, Cassie." She turned to leave. But then, she turned, and grabbed Marco by his collar. She kissed him on the cheek. He looked at her, as if she was a goddess. Which of course, she was. To him at least.  
  
"I take it, it went well?" Jake wondered out loud.  
  
Marco thought for a moment.  
  
"Yes. It did."  
  
That's it. Just remember...  
  
Be warned, my children  
Six will visit  
Followed by the crumbling of time itself  
Before the coming of Shangra La  
A Dark Carnival will sweep across the land  
As a shadow, plagued with destruction  
A parade of freaks, jugglers, and death  
This wretched nightmare is led by six faces  
Three have come, three have gone  
The fourth emerges, now  
He walks among us as a shadow, void of light  
Powered by your own darkness  
Strengthened by your own weakening  
A horrid reflection of your very own deep desires  
Cast and reflected back upon yourself  
Brothers and Sisters!  
The time has come for the Necromaster  
The unleashing of the fourth joker's card  
The arrival of The Great... Milenko  
  
I'm out. |\_|\/|_/| 


End file.
